Boys Brigade (band)
Encyclopedia
Boys Brigade was a Canadian
New Wave
band in the 1980s. Formed in 1980 in Toronto
, the band consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Malcolm Burn
, guitarist and vocalist Tony Lester, bass guitar Wayne Lorenz, drummer/bu vocals Billie Brock and percussionists/bu vocals David Porter
and Jeff Packer. Booked by Raymond Perkins (Roots, (Demics), Boys Brigade played an eclectic choice of venues to perform in Toronto. Bars that were not known for live music at the time. Among them, the now favoured Rex Hotel, and the Drake Hotel
.
Part of the Queen Street West
scene, the band's song "Mannequin" appeared on Q107
's annual compilation album of local bands, Homegrown, in 1981. Howard Ungerleider, the lighting designer for Rush
, signed a management agreement with the band that year, that was eventually signed over to Ray Danniels' SRO. Geddy Lee
was enlisted to produce the band's self-titled debut album in 1983. Engineered by Nick Blagona (Rolling Stones, plus plus..), the sessions were stretched over six months, to accommodate Geddy's touring schedules.
The band's first single from that album, "The Passion of Love" was moderately successful. "Melody", the followup single was a Top 40 hit in Canada, and "bubbled under" on Billboard's US charts, peaking at #104. "Into the Flow" appeared on the soundtrack to the Canadian film Heavenly Bodies
starring Cynthia Dale
the following year.
An exceptional live performance of the band for the King Biscuit Flower Hour
can be heard on Wolfgang's Vault.
However, internal tensions led the band to break up before releasing another album. Burn went on to a solo career, and is a Grammy Award winning record producer.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band in the 1980s. Formed in 1980 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, the band consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Malcolm Burn
Malcolm Burn
Malcolm Burn is a Canadian-born music producer, recording engineer and musician. In 2001, he won a Grammy Award with Jim Watts and Emmylou Harris for his work on Harris's Red Dirt Girl. -Biography:...
, guitarist and vocalist Tony Lester, bass guitar Wayne Lorenz, drummer/bu vocals Billie Brock and percussionists/bu vocals David Porter
David Porter
David Porter may refer to:*David J. Porter , Republican candidate for Railroad Commission of Texas*David R. Porter , Pennsylvania politician*David Porter , United States Navy officer and ambassador...
and Jeff Packer. Booked by Raymond Perkins (Roots, (Demics), Boys Brigade played an eclectic choice of venues to perform in Toronto. Bars that were not known for live music at the time. Among them, the now favoured Rex Hotel, and the Drake Hotel
Drake Hotel (Toronto)
The Drake Hotel on Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario, Canada near Parkdale, was opened in 1890 as "Small's Hotel". At the time, the area was a major Canadian Pacific Railway hub near what was then one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city....
.
Part of the Queen Street West
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
scene, the band's song "Mannequin" appeared on Q107
CILQ-FM
CILQ-FM is a radio station, broadcasting at 107.1 FM in Toronto, Ontario. The station broadcasts a classic rock format branded as Q107 and is also available through streaming audio....
's annual compilation album of local bands, Homegrown, in 1981. Howard Ungerleider, the lighting designer for Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, signed a management agreement with the band that year, that was eventually signed over to Ray Danniels' SRO. Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee
Gary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
was enlisted to produce the band's self-titled debut album in 1983. Engineered by Nick Blagona (Rolling Stones, plus plus..), the sessions were stretched over six months, to accommodate Geddy's touring schedules.
The band's first single from that album, "The Passion of Love" was moderately successful. "Melody", the followup single was a Top 40 hit in Canada, and "bubbled under" on Billboard's US charts, peaking at #104. "Into the Flow" appeared on the soundtrack to the Canadian film Heavenly Bodies
Heavenly Bodies
"Heavenly Bodies" is the title of a song recorded by American country music artist Earl Thomas Conley. It was released in May 1982 as the first single from the album Somewhere Between Right and Wrong. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
starring Cynthia Dale
Cynthia Dale
Cynthia Dale is a Canadian television actress and stage performer. With a long and accomplished history as a dramatic actor, she is best known for her role as lawyer Olivia Novak in the 1987-94 television drama Street Legal....
the following year.
An exceptional live performance of the band for the King Biscuit Flower Hour
King Biscuit Flower Hour
The King Biscuit Flower Hour was a syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock artists.-History:...
can be heard on Wolfgang's Vault.
However, internal tensions led the band to break up before releasing another album. Burn went on to a solo career, and is a Grammy Award winning record producer.